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Iran arms production history

The history of arms production in Iran ( Persia ) begins as early as 550 BC., in ancient Persia and by the Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid Empire, wellrecognized for his achievements in human rights, conquering four corners of the world, also been known for his innovation in building projects. Cyrus the Great took all steps to form a standing and well-trained army with defensive instruments; long spears, shields, helmets, breast-plates, swords, javelins and of course bow and arrows with which conquered vast territories.

In the later era in the 16th century, too many threads and greed to conquer the empire attracted pertinacious monarchs and rulers of the world.

Although the militarism never paved its way into the daily lives of the nation, however this motherland fostered men & women to become warriors and braveries against all foreign insurgents throughout the history and defended her territories and fate. Ancient Persian armies have always been in the position to make their necessary armaments and defensive particles.

In 1590, during the reign of King Abbas I ,Isfahan was the center of the government and the ruling system . Some industries developed as well as moulding method of making cannons and a single barrel rifle and gunsmithing .The skilled men & group of blacksmiths expanded the relative activities amid lack of extraterritorial assistance.

For over hundred years the Persians learned more and gathered more knowledge how to handle gun-powder and the gun itself .The so-called industry developed during Afsharia ( 1703 ) to build boats in the city of Bushehr and in the Zandiya Dynasty ( 1780) in which the city of Shiraz became another center to make cannons & flint guns .In the early eighteenth century ( 1807- 1852 ) Mirza Taghi Farahani , known as Amir Kabir ( chief minister to Naser al-din shah of Qajar reign ) had been considered as a modernizer of his time . After 1840 he was put in charge of army’s provisions and through divine efforts during his authority before 1852 , he uplift the Persian arsenal with the help of Austrians in Isfahan and Tehran. He eagerly collected information of military value to the nation and established special school for military education and scholarship. In 1888 new place in the center of Tehran and next to the building of ministry of defense was chosen to accommodate the Ghorkhane ( the military manufacturing establishment ) and took first steps to purchase three ships to Persian Soldiers at Persepolis Monument First Machine Gun in Iran Some Ancient Rifles A Type of Flint Riflen form a very young navy force. Seven years after the 1st. World War, and up to the year 1925, Ghorkhane was closed several times due to lack of skill, equipment and well – trained personnel. In 1925 , starts a-fifty four-year period of father ( Reza ) and the son ( Mohammad Reza ) Pahlavi dynasty that ended by the 1979 Islamic Revolution .

During the two decades ruling of Reza Shah, great significance were given to the creation of a classic strong army. An army that can serve the king in frontiers, national security and against political opponents .To fulfill the king’s ambitions, recruitment of all skilled workers in steel mills and metal workshops was the first step towards establishment of a repairing center , followed by commissioning of 18 persons to Europe to be trained in this profession. Gradually during 1922-1929 by bringing tools, equipment and samples from Europe, the factory was able to manufacture barrels, rifles and thousands rounds of bullets per day and produce necessary gunpowder in chemical factory .Thanks to the Germans , the Iranian ammunition manufacturing plant and the armament manufacturing plant were constructed under separate arrangements between 1935 to 1940 .Very soon contracts were signed with German manufacturers to transfer the technology to produce 75mm , 205 mm , 105 mm ammunitions. The brass plant though was built before 1940.

In 1941 and under the command of the pahlavi II reign period , western governments increased their influence in Iran and controlled most of the Iranian oil and other natural resources . To guard the so-called western interests, country needed a strong army , something that required most of the revenue to be paid on weapons and equipments in the land that most of the people lived in extreme poverty. The Shah ( king ) established himself as an indispensable ally of the west, thus major arms industries and unprecedented defensive war material and machines were purchased and imported into the country , together with vast number of US and European military and technical advisers & missionaries. During the first decade, the Military Industries Organization ( MIO) was formed and indisputable development of manufacturing of arms & ammunition , chemicals , air & sea industries came in to light .

Heckler & Koch manufacturer exported to Iran the G.3 rifles technology and the MP5 series, 9mm pistols and MG3 machines Guns. During the process, the MIO also acquired the capability to produce gun- powder, dynamite, acids & nitrate explosives. Another leading ammu-Zanboorak (Light Cannon) nition manufacturer, Fritz Werner sold the main semimechanical ammunition maker that changed the whole industry and trained and brought knowledge & skill into the lines. 9×19mm,7.62 ×51…. , and many other different calibers and ammunition parts & spares.

MIO in its renovation programs had to be self – sufficient and bring the chain factories into efficiency . The Organization soon came into the conclusion that with its qualified staff, it should move torwards self-reliance and cover other sectors of the defensive products. In the sixties, vehicles, communication, battery producing and electronic parts and devices were the areas that the Organization was almost capalde to handle in all respects. In another sector, Iran Aviation Industries originally was constructed by Textron and intended to produce Bell 214 series, initially 350 helicopters plus transfer of technology. This project later was expanded enormously and US International Bell co. trained these personal that before 1977 well-trained staff were sufficiently capable to logistically support the fleet in the national army.

As the Pahlavi´s era ended in 1979, the Iranian post revolution inherited immense amount of land , air and naval war-machine , and due to the west’s hatred towards creation of a truly Islamic state in the Middle East , flamed the old disputes into eight-year –long war with the eastern neighbor. With systematic refusal of social and commercial relations as from the beginning of the revolution followed by a great degree of worsening sanctions, literally paved the way towards a bright future for the creative, active & capable nation to stand-up against all international & technological challenges .

On the military might, the country necessarily had to be self-reliance by overriding all difficulties and restrictions. The nation with momentous ideals beside a revolution with propositions and message for the world to pursue, soon recognized its threats and opportunities.

The Iranian military industries entered into a circumstance that had been dealt with prudence. Acquiring Eastern technology together with the existing Western know-how, increased the capability of the army much in a greater level among the countries in the region. What the dear readers would find in this book is just a tip of an iceberg. This illustrated collection would give you somehowm a thorough introduction to the current products and equipments and its various types. Achievements in great extend shall take the lead in no time.

Exporter´s Comment

In summer1989,a M.o.D international relation department was instructed to form a centre for ordnance export activities. In a very short time several highly commercially specialist officers were recruited to take up the job which soon followed by few foreign contracts.

The Centre soon received defence minister’s special blessing to introduce the defensive products more to the potential customers and expand marketing activity globally . Export Centre as a result pioneered the unprecedented commercial sales of military equipment and hardware made in Iran, the move in which was welcomed by all military producers and organizations in the Islamic Republic.

After 24 years of credible reputation, this M.o.D´s exporting entity has arrived to the point that can proudly announce undeniable unique role in formation of military relation and export of arms and equipment to as many as 35 countries in four continents.

In 1992¸other M.o.D´s producing organizations were encouraged to enter into the marketing arena and export their own military products independently. The supreme Export Council chaired by the honourable minister himself was then established to lead the export promotion and legislate the required laws on arms sales¸ supervise the activities and their conformity to the prevailing UN resolutions and arms control policies.The councils initial members were the Defence Minister¸ Vice Defence Minister, Deputy Defence Minister for Logistics¸ Chief of Export Centre and the Chairman of the Defence Industries Organization . Today the number of the council’s permanent member has increased into ten.The council formed a technical committee chaired by the Deputy Defence Minister for Logistics who is responsible for all military exports and permissions.The Iranian Ministry of Defence, like all other producers and military exporters, shortly considered the importance of publicity and showing the global audience its achievements. Therefore next to advertising in prime international military magazines, it participates regularly and periodically in a few of the main international military exhibitions.

One of the advertising mean was to publish and provide enough technical literature so to satisfy the recipients.Though taking the above into consideration , in 2002 the idea of publishing a workable, technical and comprehensive defence product book came into light, a hectic, important but worthy task.Literally Export Centre managed to show successfully the first edition not sooner than the year 2005, then the 2006/07 and the 2008/09 version. presently the new 2013-2016 issue contains a variety of Iranian manufactured items with several new chapters, one consists of 12 sections, under the title of “transfer of technology” and the other provides good information on the history of arms manufacturing in Iran.We have also introduced in this collection, a military manufactured coding system known as product Identification Code ( PIC), help to recognize the products by referring to the codes. The technical tolerances are constantly reviewed, needless to say, the data necessarily subject to change without notice. visitors who require more detailed information or have specific suggestions, are most welcome to contact us on our correspondence shown in this web site.